Need expert advice re: MS 902i !

mattc76

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Hello All and Happy New Year!

I have recently purchased my 1st "proper" hi-fi having only recently had rubbishy mini systems. My budget wasn't that great so having researched things quite a lot I plumped for a Cambridge Audio 540a V2 with Mordaunt Short 902i's (from Richer Sounds). I was a bit concerned about the reported excessive brightness of the 902is but since they were going for 99 quid I thought that it was a bit of a bargain. I did mention this to the guy in the shop and he suggested that if i was concerned about the brightness then maybe consider the Cambridge Audio S30's which (he said) had just the same detail (but wouldnt go as loud) but less harsh. I had also read that the brightness would tame down a bit after a while. My source is my ipod through CA dock (lossless). Anyway out of the box i immediately thought they sounded quite good - much better than my previous mini jobbie - but i also immediately noticed the treble was very bright almost harsh in places. Anyway I've played them in now for about 30 hours - 1 speaker out of phase, medium vol face-to-face as instructed - and they still sound very bright - too bright for me really - and not much mid-range and inconsistent bass. I have read that they can actually take a couple of hundred hours to really get going and lose some of the harshness.

The sort of sound I like is detailed (and bright) but also rich and rounded with luscious mid-range (strings etc), and a tight accurate full and rounded bass!!! The 902i's at the moment sound (for want of a better word) "digital", harsh and a bit "empty".

Anyway what should I do? Keep breaking them in for a few more days and see if they improve, or exchange them for the s30's or look for something different? (eg MA Br2's - although more pricey)

Your advice would be much appreciated as I have little experience in these matters!!

Thanks for your help!

Matt
 

matthewpiano

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Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think the MS 902i make good partners for the Cambridge Audio gear. Although a budget loudspeaker, the Avants thrive on the end of much better amplification. I'd say that my NAD amp is the minimum needed to get the best out of these speakers. Its warmer than the CA amps. The CA/MS combo partners bright with bright and it can get a bit uncomfortable IMO. I've heard them driven by a NAIM NAIT 5i and they sounded absolutely incredible. Tight, rhythmical, focused, beautifully balanced and with superb soundstaging.

I'd suggest the Cambridge S30s. I have a pair of these for my second system and they are excellent - a bit of a bargain actually. They are warmer than the 902is without losing the detail and pace, and will temper the brightness of the 540A extremely well. I think they are more interesting to listen to than the BR2s which can sound a bit flat.
 

mattc76

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matthewpiano, thank you for your speedy reply! Your NAD amp - is that the c325bee? How does it sound with the 902i's? My options would be to swap my amp for the NAD and keep the speakers (that would be the cheapest option), or swap the speakers for the s30's? What would sound best? One other thing - can you remember how long it took to break in your 902i's when you first got them?

Thanks again, Matt
 

matthewpiano

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Hi. My NAD is the one up from the C315BEE, the c325bee. However the C315BEE has been very well received and I think it would be well worth a try. RS are usually pretty good and you may be able to swap to the NAD with the option of going back to the Cambridge if you are not happy with the change. I really do think the NAD amps are very hard to beat and the warmer tonal balance of the C315BEE will more than likely pull your system together. With the C325BEE the 902is work extremely well - plenty of attack but allied to a musicality and warmth that makes listening really pleasurable.
The MS902is didn't take that long to burn in really. I have heard them with the 540A V2.0 and the 640A V2.0 and didn't like the combination (I wasn't particularly impressed by the Cambridge amps) but hi-fi is so personal that its difficult to make any generalised conclusions and only your own ears can be the final judge. The key thing is, don't lose hope. You will get the sound you want with some patience and persistence in the end.
 

mattc76

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Hello. Thanks for your advice! I might pop into richersounds tomorrow and see if they'll let me try the NAD or different speakers.
 

mattc76

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Right then. Went into RS today. They seemed surprised at what I was saying and felt that the CA amp and 902is were a good match and said that BOTH the amp and speakers needed a decent run in. The NAD C315BEE they said would be a significant downgrade and not worth trying, they did suggest trying some Wharfdale 9.1's but they didn't have any in stock. They seemed to think that the 540a v2 was an excellent amp and well worth keeping. Anyway I've run them in a bit more (all day today), and repositioned them, and possibly they do sound a bit better ie fewer tracks seem to sound harsh, but still a few are too bright. I don't know if it is just my ears / brain adjusting, or whether it is actually a hardware / positioning thing? I remember when i first got my Shure SE530's having had etymotic er6i's before, and being a bit dissappointed - i think because the sound was different - but now I think they're brilliant and the others clearly inferior.

One more thing, my ipod (160gb classic) is far too harsh to listen to (loudly) with the Shure 530's (My Sony NWA808 on the otherhand being amazing even when cranked very loud). I assumed the cambridge audio dock bypassed the ipod's (rubbish) audio circuitry and used its own (DAC) (is that right?!) so the actual ipod hardware shouldn't make a difference? I am also using apple lossless files having first ripped to WAV's with EAC so it can't be a compression thing.

Anyway at the moment i'm tempted to just persist in the hope that things will get better. What does everyone think?

Ta

Matt
 

matthewpiano

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Trust your own instinct. If that is to stick with it, then you should do so.
BTW do you know that Julian Richer owns a 51% stake in The Audio Partnership - the company that owns Cambridge Audio and Mordaunt-Short?
 

sureesh40

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Dear Matthew

I own a MS 902i also, I partner them with a Marantz pm 4001 ose. I am not to excited with the sound. I wonder if you have any experience with this combo.

I am thinking of either getting the rotel ra-04 or NAD 325BEE.

What do you think
 
A

Anonymous

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Matt, do not let the RS staff sway you, as the other matt said the owner has a controlling stake in some of these manufacturers, so definitely do audition other speakers or amps if you are not happy with the sound you have now. Do not convince yourself to like your current setup based upon their reassurances.
 
A

Anonymous

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sureesh40:

Dear Matthew

I own a MS 902i also, I partner them with a Marantz pm 4001 ose. I am not to excited with the sound. I wonder if you have any experience with this combo.

I am thinking of either getting the rotel ra-04 or NAD 325BEE.

What do you think

I got marantz pm 4001 ose partnered with Ms 906i, I cannot say that this combination sounds bright. I really enjoy it. I think with nad 325bee you will lose a lot of detail. On the other hand rotel sound does not match mordaunt short. I use gale cables the 400 model.
 

basshead

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what i say here is just my opinion, but it's how i experienced it:

i own the MS 916i (i think the parts used are similar to the 902i, but in floor standing format), which i originaly bought with the CA 540a v2. i found the combination very bright, and couldn't listen to them for over 20mins without getting bored and tired.

I recently bought a NAD c320bee 2nd hand and partnered them with the MS speakers, the difference was night and day for me, i could listen to my music for hours with full enjoyment. a bit of detail was lost, but i saw this as a fair compramise for being able to enjoy my music again.

I also own a pair of diamond 9.1 ( 75th anniversary eddition, very beautifuly finished i must add, with the real wood veneer and 'vintage' grills), i tried these with both my CA 540a amp and the NAD c320bee, i much prefer the sound when partnered with the CA.

In my opinion, and for my music tastes, bright speakers (like the MS) sound better when partnered with a warm amp (like the NAD), and warm speakers (like the wharfedales) sound better with a bright/detaled amp (like the CA 540a v2).

The way i see it: the MS speakers use aluminium tweeters which are naturally bright, so a warm amp like the NAD can be just what they need to tame them and keep them under controle.
 

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